For an audio version of this post, please click on the speaker icon (top left).
“Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hateBaby, I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off” – Taylor Swift
It was bound to happen.
One of the biggest things anyone faces when they put themselves into the public eye is negativity, criticism, or downright abject hate.
We all have unique backgrounds, unique personalities, and personal beliefs.
Because of this, it is incredibly rare to find something that is universally liked across the globe.
I guess I should take it as a compliment that this website has grown and expanded its reach across the blogosphere to a point that it too has drawn the ire of some rather harsh critics.
Of course there are positives that can be taken from any criticism, especially when it is of the constructive type.
It serves us no purpose if we choose to place ourselves in the so called “Echo Chamber” which basically resonates with only like minded ideas.
It also certainly does not help with personal growth if we choose to only surround ourselves with ingratiating sycophants that blindly agree to whatever may come out of our mouths.
To do so would put us at risk for a modern day version of the “Emperor’s New Clothes” parable.
I am the first to admit that XRAYVSN, both the website and the man behind the website, are certainly not everyone’s cup of tea.
When I first burst on the scene in April 2018, there was some constructive criticism I received with some viewers who were having difficulty reading the posts due to the white lettering on a dark background (even my girlfriend, who is one of my biggest supporters said that she was having some issues with it but, like a true trooper, she dealt with it).
In particular, a growing faction of individuals in the White Coat Forum, a community that I was formerly very much a part of, started expressing dissent on my color scheme/website design.
As previously mentioned, I had created a substantial amount of posts before I even launched the website.
By the time this particular criticism hit me, I was well over 50 posts deep.
Initially there was no simple solution I could think of as a drastic color scheme change would require me to individual edit each post and change the various highlighted colored texts to something that would not “wash out” on a light background.
This was a daunting and incredibly time-consuming task and one that I could not see myself doing.
I finally came up with, what I thought was an elegant and brilliant, solution of creating a parallel/mirrored website which I fondly dubbed, “Jedi Mode,” playing on the dark side versus the light side theme of Star Wars.
Bam!
I thought the problem was solved and I would silence those critics.
Honestly I was not sure what to expect when I visited a White Coat Forum thread that announced this new, “lightened version,” but I honestly thought I would get an “attaboy!” for trying at the very least.
Unfortunately I came away from reading the comments in that thread quite disheartened as commentators, and one in particular, seemed to continue to relish participating in what for me was a hate tirade.
Here are just some of the comments that I encountered that slowly whittled away the enthusiasm I had going into that thread:
“Sorry but this guy doesn’t have an eye for web design aesthetics, at all.”– Commentator A
“Website design is very childish, amateurish. reminds [me] of the geocities websites from many years ago.
Plus the name of the website is very dumb, doesn’t give any indication of what the website is about. XRAYVSN??” – Commentator A
“[Commentator A] doesn’t find the writing engaging, writing is childish and repetitive. If feedback is wanted [Commentator A] will give feedback.”– Commentator A
“LOL, most of hits are probably people from this forum curious to see how’s bad the website is!” -Commentator A in response to a previous comment that XRAYVSN must be doing well to have certain advertisers sponsor the blog.
“My problem with the website besides the design is it seems to be just a copy, me too type of website with little to no original content. Not entertaining, just piggybacking off content from other websites trying to make a dime. Not interested.” -Commentator A
Several of these separate posts on this thread were made by Commentator A with no intervening comments (akin to someone about to leave a room after ending an argument and then quickly circling back and saying, “And Furthermore!…..)
“Why on earth would I listen to any financial advice on a website that looks like this?!?” – Commentator B
[This particular type of person is one I assume gives priority to appearance versus substance.
Financial advice can ONLY come from someone with a trail of letters behind their name or a degree from a prestigious university.
The time of day is ONLY valid if it comes from a Rolex or a Patek Phillipe rather than a Timex.
(I actually own a Daytona Rolex and I will tell you that it keeps AWFUL time (acceptable accuracy range is -4 to +6 seconds per day!) and far less reliable than a $10 digital watch you can get at a drugstore).]
A few remaining commentators also threw in some jokes to end the thread such as “Definitely A Radiologist” or “Any option for neither of the above?” in response to my poll at the end of the post asking which color scheme they preferred.
I chose to not participate in this particular thread because the one time I got involved in another forum thread defending an attack on my character, my profession, and my parenting, it turned quite ugly and I felt awful about it later.
I could see how “flame wars” can quickly get out of hand as participants attack each other via their online personas in ways that no civil people would do face to face.
I wish I could truly follow Taylor Swift’s sound advice and shake it off and develop some thicker skin.
But through this experience I have found yet another incredible benefit of Financial Independence.
This blog, and the revenue generated from it, truly has nothing to do with my future financial success.
My frugality and high savings rate along with sound investing has set me up for a great financial future.
I may not be at the point where I have FU money set aside to drop my primary occupation as a radiologist, but it certainly is far more than enough that I do not feel the need to chase every potential dollar I could earn from this blog by trying to appease everyone (an impossible task).
That for me is true financial freedom.
I can do something I love (writing, interacting with the online community (at least the friendlier ones), put out a product that I am proud of and like, and not be overly concerned by the haters who will always find something to hate.
As I have touched on before, there is a potential for “survey bias” that no doubt plays a part in a thread with commentary such as the examples above.
Those who are happy with a product are less likely to comment whereas as those that have a negative opinion are more likely to showcase it (and repeatedly do so as Commentator A happily did).
[At one point I questioned if I had somehow did something egregious to his family in the past and he was on a personal vendetta.]
For those who frequent XRAYVSN I thank you for your continued support and comments.
I hope that you find the content worthy to overcome any flaws you see in either website version.
And for those that find neither the content or design appealing, no hard feelings.
The great thing about the physician blogging community is that there are so many great options out there.
Your resource of time is limited and I would much rather you use it wisely on a website you deem worthy of it
(The Hospital page I have created gives you an easy way to see all the great content currently offered at once by the 80+ physician bloggers out there).
After having said my peace, I leave you with this:
“Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong
Whether I find a place in this world or never belong
I gotta be me, I’ve gotta be me…
I’ll go it alone, that’s how it must be
I can’t be right for somebody else
If I’m not right for me
I gotta be free, I’ve gotta be free
Daring to try, to do it or die
I’ve gotta be me” – Sammy Davis Jr.
Note:
If you are in search of financial help, please consider enlisting the service of any of the sponsors of this blog who I feel are part of the “good guys and gals of finance.”
Even a steadfast DIY’er can sometimes gain benefit from the occasional professional input.
If you find yourself enjoying this blog, please add to Xrayvsn’s superpowers by subscribing (your email will be kept private and you will get up to date emails regarding the latest posts and bonus material like the net worth spreadsheet template I created).
As my email subscriber list grows it validates my decision to start this blog and to continue to try and provide worthy content for your eyes.
Thank you
-Xrayvsn
NOTE: The website XRAYVSN contains affiliate links and thus receives compensation whenever a purchase through these links is made (at no further cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Although these proceeds help keep this site going they do not have any bearing on the reviews of any products I endorse which are from my own honest experiences. Thank you- XRAYVSN
Don’t sweat it, brother. At least you didn’t ignite a feminist twitter storm that would have you believe I hate women ?
We all go through this eventually, and it is just a sign that your message has been noticed. Those that care, don’t mind. And those who mind, don’t matter.
TPP
Thanks TPP. It certainly makes you develop thicker skin in a hurry 🙂
I would love to see that link! I don’t do Twitter but I can assure you I would have been on your side, TPP 🙂
Like Jimmy said, just try to ignore it man. It’s the internet. The internet is mostly a good thing, but it’s also cultivated a culture where people feel perfectly fine criticizing and sometimes downright mocking others in a public way – but in a way that they’d NEVER do in person. It’s because they’re anonymous. I’m sure “Commenter A” would never do that if his/her name and location were out there. Just do your thing. I have some haters too. If we didn’t, it would be a sign that our blogs are barely being read, and that wouldn’t be good… Read more »
Thanks Dave! It is true what they say in Hollywood that any publicity is good publicity because it puts that person in the limelight. It is true, even big time bloggers I respect have said they get negative comments which I find quite amusing because it demonstrates that no matter what you can’t please them all. Thanks for the support and comment 🙂
It wouldn’t be success without the haters. We all have our trolls. Keep on with the content, it works.
Thanks FTF. That is probably what surprised me most was even the amazing sites have haters. So that certainly takes the sting off when I first encountered it. Appreciate the support
Ugh, sorry you had to put up with that. Good for you for putting yourself out there – in any color you choose.
Thank you for the kind words. It definitely stung when I first read it but now I use it as motivation.
You open your living room to the world, there’s always that one guy at the party who takes a dump in the corner.
I’ll break out the rug shampoo and clean it up alongside you, Xrayvsn. And then we’ll throw another party anyway.
A few people taking risks and making themselves vulnerable to experience growth and test out new ideas are worth far more than the vast majority criticizing those few from a place of complacent conformity.
Keep tuning out the noise, my friend.
Fondly,
CD
Thank you so much CD. I absolutely love the analogy.
Well I rather fight the good fight with my merry band of misfits than conform to some perceived normalcy, so thank you for being a close friend and supporter.
I love the analogy, too and plan to steal it for my own!
CrispyDoc is a true wordsmith. It always impresses me when a physician has the ability to write like that and come up with creative concepts. Absolutely love his blog because of it 🙂
I enjoy your site very much. Very relate-able and interesting. Keep up the good work!
Really means a lot! Thank you for tilting the scale way into the positive side for me 🙂
You can blame me for causing the controversy – I announce each new CYAI on the WCI forum. Aside a few who have been outspoken about their “color issues” 😉 I believe many more open-minded readers have found the blog who may not have. Whether due to the controversy or simply to find out what’s going on, hopefully at least a few have subscribed and found something to like, so I’m calling that a silver lining. XRAYVSN has gone to great lengths to swallow his feelings and appease but, in the end, this is the USA and he gets to… Read more »
I definitely do not blame you and actually thank you for being a HUGE reason why the Doctor’s Bill series has been a success beyond what I could have imagined when I first envisioned it. So happy I was smart enough to ask for your help right away (and thrilled you accepted). I definitely think a lot of the discussion and traffic to my site on those posting days (which are typically my best days) is because of you helping to spread the word on the forums (so thank you) and it is a Platinum lining in my eyes. In… Read more »
That is very kind of you (blush). We’re both having a lot of fun with this, right? Maybe some day, I’ll even get to meet you.
I like the blog.I like the content. I like the personality that we have sen so far from the writer. The white letters are actually easier for me to read. I like the name. Thank you.
Thank you Badger so much (your check is in the mail 🙂 ). LOL. I really appreciate the support and honestly this blogging thing has really rejuvenated my life. I am so glad I actually broke inertia and started it. Far more positives than the occasional negatives. My girlfriend has often commented that she can see a new sense of passion in me that was slowly being eroded by medicine. Thanks for stopping by and really do appreciate the comment!
I’m one of those whose opinion you do not see regularly. I have enjoyed your content and have stayed with the dark background on the website as it is different from others. From my point of view, you probably have 10 times as many people like me following your posts closely, learning from them but rarely commenting (just my nature), but I would happily stick up for you if I heard any negative comments. Keep up the great work and don’t let the haters bring you down.
Really means a lot Pogo. Thank you for taking the time to comment and appreciate you breaking the norm to do so. I now wish I had posted this post the day after I first read the criticisms on the forum because I was a bit down the first couple of days after reading them) but like anything it too passed. Thanks again 🙂
Don’t listen to the haters. Embrace the notoriety. Don’t they say that bad publicity is good publicity? Sometimes I wish I had haters too (Well, maybe not…). Anyways, the internet makes it too easy to write hateful comments. The weird thing is… these haters actually took precious time of their day to even write such comments. And we all know how precious our time is. How are you handling the haters and your first adversity as a blogger? Also… (this is not a criticism but something I just wanted to point out in case you didn’t know)… when you toggle… Read more »
DMF really always appreciate the support (and I honestly think you are second only behind me in commenting on this website 🙂 ). Yeah, I knew about the issue with the dark and light side commenting. Unfortunately the only way I could create this alternate universe was basically creating a subdomain and essentially run a brand new website (every original post I do, I have to copy and paste and put it on that site, change links so that it remains in the light version, etc). But because of this the comments are completely disconnected from each other. Don’t think… Read more »
Thanks for sharing the context of that tirade, XrayVsn. I was curious about that too. It’s preposterous for someone to assume what another person’s motivations are.
I just assume that everybody is trying to be the best person they can be.
Yeah, honestly that comment caught me off guard and that was the first negative response I ever had via the internet (and you know how much I comment/contribute so that is saying a lot) 🙂
After that I pulled back quite a bit on the forum unless Johanna specifically tells me to go on a particular forum thread to address a question from our joint series. Other than that I figure ignorance is bliss and although there are likely many more negative comments about me/website, I will let them percolate in cyberspace away from my zone of influence.
Yeah. Unfortunately, I think in everything we do we have to be prepared for some backlash, push back, or undue harsh criticism.
My next post might instigate some interesting feelings. So I’ll be prepared for the criticism.
You definitely have piqued my interest 🙂 I definitely look forward to it!
I really appreciate the straightforward way you’ve dealt with this AND shared about the experience. It will happen to anyone who puts something out there.
Nothing more profound than that to add – I just wanted to express my support!
Thank you for the kind words. I figured might as well make something positive out of something negative and thus this post was born 🙂 When life gives you sour grapes, throw them out and drink lemonade instead 🙂
Xrayvsn, your blog is one of the blogs that I read regularly (and I read a lot of blogs). The material is varied and a lot of it is not only informative, but entertaining. The best thing I love about you Xrayvsn is your unrivaled sense of optimism and genuine niceness that is projected in your posts and comments. I’ve never met you in person before but I consider you a kindred spirit. We are both radiologists and interested in personal finance. But more so, you share things about your life and work I can relate to. I know you… Read more »
Thanks MD. I agree, I feel we are kindred spirits for sure. You were the first blogger who gave me a platform to shout from with my first guest post ever (and I thank you for that). I honestly think the comments are my favorite part of anything I do on this blog because it makes me feel like I’m part of an incredible online community. Well you definitely brought a smile to my face. As I mentioned on an earlier comment in this post, I wish I had published this particular post right when it happened because I could… Read more »
Hey XRV,
After what you have gone through with your divorce, how can any anonymous forum poster touch you?
Just think about that.
They are but a mere flea in your orb…..
You have developed so many friendships, this other stuff doesn’t matter.
I always took this approach. Unless they can sue me, I really don’t give a rats ass.
I know I look at life simply but I really ignore most things.
And people around me wonder why I’m so happy all the time….
Ninja warrior trick XRV!!!
I love it. Yeah Ninja warrior would be the best approach.
Thanks as always for the positive comments. Much appreciated
You do a wonderful job my friend and I appreciate your website. You are one of the top Physician blogs I actually enjoy reading. We as bloggers definitely take some insults and some criticism from others. Just keep being you and inspiring us that do appreciate you and your website. Keep sharing your life and knowledge with us because that is what I want to read more of on Xrayvsn.
Will do Andrea! One of the best things about this blog is that it has allowed me to make incredible relationships with friends and you are right at the top of that list. Thanks always for support via Twitter or commenting here
I like your website design. It is different from others – love it or leave it. Text is easily readable, no nasty banners and blinking popups – well done. Anybody who doesn´t like it should just search somewhere else, problem solved. Direct criticism can be mind-boggling, but in the end it´s just the internet with a 99.999% chance of never seeing the hater in real life. The much, much bigger problem IMO is the threat coming from “hating” lawyers. In the US it might still be low risk, although in theory they can also sue ex EU websites if these… Read more »
Wow. Thanks for the warning about the EU regulations. It is tough to know what is non compliant or not. I do the small disclaimer stuff like most do but who knows what else is missing. Appreciate the positive feedback on my blog. Thank you
I think there is no 100% safety, but it may be worth thinking about the easy things one can do, in order to keep the biggest lions away. There are some GDPR plugins for wordpress, not perfect, but it is a start. Another advice was, if we use disclaimers or privacy statements etc. to set them technically on “non index”. That way the search engines specifically trained to find faulty or weak legal statements won´t find them on first sight. it is like in Pulp Fiction: It won´t help if the cop wants to inspect the car in depth, but… Read more »
Thanks for the tips Senior Crown. Leave it to the internet police to ruin it for everyone. I will look for some of those plugins (I think I do have some installed already 🙂 ) Have a great one.
People who judge a book by the cover tend to miss out on a classic! Content is so much more valuable. Their loss is my gain!
Thanks so much for the kind comment. Yeah I have to admit the cover of my book is a bit out there (but hey so I am I so very appropriate). Glad you enjoy the content despite that. Thanks for the comment ?
Hey XRV, keep up the great work. Love the blog and especially the Doctor’s Bills. I would continue to learn and improve despite any critical or hateful comments. Take care.
Thank you VP for the positive feedback. I truly do appreciate your support.
I was probably one of the first to complain. My eyes are not great and dark background doesn’t work for me. Thanks for creating a mirror site.
You can’t please everyone. The dark background makes it more difficult to read, though. Keep at it!
I appreciate the feedback Joe. I began to realize that there was definitely a portion of the population that had difficulty viewing my posts with the original background scheme. Glad you find the mirror site better to read off of (still not perfect but I could not lighten the background any further and had to settle for a light/medium grey so that highlighted texts in a ton of my posts (like yellow) would not wash out completely.
I think the medium grey frame around the center black background helps with eye fatigue. Maybe also it depends on monitor setup. Many displays are calibrated to impress at the shopping mall with high contrast, brightness and edge sharpening@max settings. That can make it hard to read text documents.
…but, I think you are the guy from Intel, isn´t it 🙂 – in that case, just forget about my crap…. 🙂
I come here, guess that means I enjoy it. I think in blogoland the main thing is to be honest. As soon as you decide to monetize you become victim to the blogoland business agenda. You make decisions based on pleasing customers and maximizing profit instead of exploring the truth with them. Your site fills a nitch, and is one of a dwindling five I bother with. It’s creative and not just” another 10 dumbassed bullet points on getting out of debt” If you like doing it, do it! If not don’t bother. If someone likes it they like it.… Read more »
Incredibly well said Gasem. And I am honored mine makes the cut as one of the 5 you visit and hopefully continue to do so. Yeah I come from a place where this does not have to be a financial juggernaut like White Coat for me to live a happy life working and in retirement. I really enjoy the creative outlet this has given me. Of course if I can do what I do and get paid some with sponsors, I would be foolish to turn down potential revenue. As long as it is not audacious in your face flashing… Read more »
Surprised to hear that you have haters. Here are some things I liked about you right away: 1. Honest discussion of your worst financial mistakes 2. You answer comments, and do it immediately, as far as I can tell 3. Wacky humour 4. You provide a platform for people outside the norm (non-WASPs, divorce and FIRE, single parenthood) 5. Frequent and innovative content You do have a retro look (the font, the layout, the colour choice), but what’s wrong with that? It makes you stand out from the the other WordPress clones. And anyone who doesn’t get the white on… Read more »
Thanks Melissa. I felt I had to respond to this comment as soon as I read it to keep the streak going. Really appreciate the highlighting of the positive aspects of my blog. I am the first to admit I went in it knowing absolutely nothing (to be honest I was super proud when I first found out I could implement a hyperlink (which I thought employed the use of wizardry when I read other people’s blogs). I jokingly have said I have had no formal training in website design (and it shows). I have to admit my profession as… Read more »